USS George Washington Leaves Pacific as U.S. Shifts Carrier Deployments Toward Middle East
The U.S. Navy is withdrawing the USS George Washington from the Pacific, planning to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East, while analysts warn the move may embolden China and raise concerns among regional allies.
The aircraft carrier USS George Washington began its departure from the Pacific this week, freeing the carrier to be reassigned to the Middle East where it will take over from the long-deployed USS Abraham Lincoln. The shift comes as the Trump administration concentrates on operations in the Western Hemisphere and Iran, prompting analysts to note a possible short-term gap in U.S. carrier presence in Asia.
Greg Poling, director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the administration’s stated priority for the Pacific conflicts with its current actions, adding that U.S. allies in the region are unsettled by the unpredictability of U.S. policy. He also noted that Beijing appears pleased with the perceived distraction of the United States.
Former Navy submariner and Hudson Institute defense analyst Bryan Clark warned that China could use the carrier’s absence to reinforce its narrative that the United States is no longer the dominant power in the western Pacific, potentially influencing the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia and other partners.
China has recently conducted naval drills with Indonesia and carried out exercises near the Scarborough Shoal and off Japan’s Okinotori Island, actions that underscore ongoing tensions with U.S. allies that have territorial disputes with Beijing.
U.S. Special Operations Command head Adm. Frank Bradley met with Filipino officials in Manila, assuring them that U.S. forces remain ready to increase joint exercises, and he is slated to visit Japan next.
Policy analyst Evan Sankey of the Cato Institute said the lack of carriers in the region adds to the perception that the United States is distracted by Middle-East events. Meanwhile, scholars such as Robert Farley of the University of Kentucky highlighted crew fatigue and limited rest as concerns for ships operating continuously for extended periods.
Clark attributed the carrier squeeze to insufficient planning for a prolonged conflict with Iran, noting that the Navy typically deploys two to three carriers from a fleet of eleven, but may need to field four if the USS Theodore Roosevelt moves to the Middle East. He warned that maintenance bottlenecks at the nation’s two carrier shipyards could create a “maintenance debt” lasting several years.
Some experts question the long-term relevance of carriers. Michael Swaine of the Quincy Institute argued that drones and missiles make carriers more vulnerable, and that smaller vessels and submarines can achieve comparable strike capabilities. Admiral Daryl Caudle, chief of naval operations, has indicated a desire to shift toward smaller, newer ships and alternative assets rather than relying heavily on carriers.